With the proliferation of studies involving DNA, laboratory procedures such as the polymerization chain reaction (PCR) and DNA sequencing have gained widespread use. Highly automated and efficient equipment and instrumentation have been developed for these procedures, but the DNA must first be extracted from biological cells, and this is one of the limiting factors in use of the procedures. With the ever-present goals of speed and low cost, there is a continuing need for new materials and procedures for extracting DNA in less time and with fewer opportunities for operator intervention and error.